Pallavi Mestry Haval named head of media at Pidilite Industries

MUMBAI: From intern to head of media in under two decades. Pallavi Mestry Haval has started a new role as head of media at Pidilite Industries Limited, a decade after she joined the company as a senior manager, media. It is the kind of career arc that agency veterans admire and clients quietly envy: built on planning, buying and a long stint on both sides of the table.

The Pidilite story is one of staying power. Mestry Haval joined in July 2016 as senior manager, media, and, according to her LinkedIn profile, has been with the company for 10 years and 4 months in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Her listed skills include management and cross-functional team leadership, among 12 others. A decade inside one organisation is rare in a business where moves are frequent, and it gives her something no outside hire can match: deep knowledge of how the company works.

The agency years supply the rest of the CV. Before Pidilite, Mestry Haval was group head at Carat India from January to May 2016, with skills in teamwork and media buying. Earlier she spent her career at Madison Communications Pvt Ltd, where she rose through the ranks. She began as media planning manager from December 2008 to April 2010, became senior planning manager in 2010-2011, account manager in 2011-2013, and account controller in 2015-2016. LinkedIn lists her total time at Madison as 4 years 2 months.

The sequence tells its own story. Planning first, then account management, then buying skills, then a client-side role. That is the full media journey: understanding what a brand needs, knowing how the market prices it and, finally, owning the spend. Few people reach the head of media seat having worked through every layer of the trade.

Her career began in October 2007, when she joined OOH Media India Ltd as an intern for a year, until September 2008. Her work there covered strategising for business development and a management information systems (MIS) project. Out-of-home and planning, business development and data: even as an intern, the mix pointed towards the combination of creativity and numbers on which media leadership rests.

The analysis is straightforward. Media is under pressure to prove returns, and the person leading the function needs a grasp of planning, buying, agency relationships and the client’s own business. Mestry Haval has lived on both sides of that table. Her promotion at Pidilite, after 10 years there, also shows the value of patience and continuity at a time when much of the industry is chasing the next job.

“I’m excited to start my new role as a head media at Pidilite Industries Ltd,” she said in her LinkedIn post.